Monday, March 28, 2011

This is another great example of technology integration in the classroom. The last part of the video clearly lays out the difference between entertainment and engagement as it relates to technology in the classroom.

Check out this presentation explaining Bloom's Taxonomy in the digital age. What I like about it is it gives concrete examples of how digital technology and education go hand in hand in the 21st Century. This could be a great way to begin engaging faculty, students and parents in technology and education integration conversations.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

On Thursday, March 10th a conference on bullying prevention was held at the White House. (Click here for a run down of the days events.) During the conference Facebook “announced new tools to protect users from bullying, create a stronger sense of community in the social network, and “create a culture of respect” among Facebook users.”

Although ‘old school’ bullying techniques like passing a note around or throwing a piece of crumpled up paper at someone remain, the landscape for bullying is different nowadays and is rapidly evolving as technology advances. The fact that a school may frown upon its’ students involvement in social network sites outside of school time does not change reality; Reality is today’s second graders know how to download apps like Facebook onto their IPods and actively use them. Reality is 9 year olds bully each other through ‘texting’.

It is imperative we educate our students, at a very early age, on proper “digital citizenship” as it pertains to bullying by providing them with the proper tools and techniques. However we must first educate ourselves. If you are not familiar with terms like cyber-bullying and digital citizenship, consider setting aside 30 minutes right now to browse the web and get a feel for where and how bullying can take place with technology. There are many websites that offer support and tools like www.stopbullying.gov, www.antibullying.net and info. pamphlets from www.digizen.org.

Bottom line- Proactively champion anti-bullying in your school. The positive impact you embed in your students will resonate in them for their entire lives.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Bullying is unfortunately prevelant in schools world wide. In this powerful video one student stands up for himself, becoming an icon, and many people across the world demonstrate their support for him.

Monday, March 21, 2011

I have had a number of parents over the last few years approach me in a state of confusion and just "not understanding this whole tech thing." Where do they begin? For starters, parents who want to obtain a better grasp on kids and their use of technology (read: facebook, twitter, myspace, etc) should click here.

There's a new experimental public school in New York City called ""TEP" which stands for "The Equity Project", a charter school that is publicly funded but privately run. It's offering its teachers a base salary of $125,000 a year - more than double the national average.
TEP aims to prove that attracting the best and brightest teachers and holding them accountable for results is the essential ingredient to a school's success.
Asked how he thinks these high salaries will impact student achievement, Zeke Vanderhoek, school principal, told Katie Couric in the 60 Minutes interview, "I don't think paying people more makes them a better teacher. You take a mediocre teacher, you double their salary, nothing's gonna change. So, if you want to attract and retain talent, you have to pay for it. "
"And that is ultimately how student achievement will be impacted," he added.

Could you imagine JESNA, PEJE and other Jewish philanthropic organizations 'synergizing' to create "TJEP" (the Jewish equity project) vetting resumes from the most talented and quality educators with a pure focus on excellence in Jewish education? How do you feel about this vision of a school? Do you think this would ultimately impact Jewish student achievement in terms of content proficiency, skill and identity building?

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Students can reap the benefits of tapping into their PLNs. Here is a wonderful video called “The Networked Student” that shows how on-line networking can enhance students’and teachers 21st century skills.

About Me

Rabbi Meir Wexler is the CEO of Wex Consultants which speaks to and assists schools with 21st century education technology integration. He is the co-founder of the highly acclaimed Twitter hashtag #Jedchat, a global professional learning community for all Jewish education stakeholders. He also directed the Yeshiva University IUSP Graduate Certificate Program in Education Technology. He earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Ner Israel Rabbinical College as well as Rabbinic Ordination. He holds Graduate Certificates in Education Technology and Differentiated Instruction from Yeshiva University. He earned Graduate Certificates in Administration and Supervision as well as Online Teaching and Learning at The Johns Hopkins University. Rabbi Wex is authoring a book on numerology in the Bible. He enjoys family, sports, technology and great weather. You can tweet him @RabbiWex.